Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-03-12
DAILY POST-IHTELucENcEU


- AAwAA hAIBANSs
The present is an age Of scarss and
ons Of the most resent instances Of
shess miniature panios IL that connected
vita ths dissbaERe from The ChsfhsD
doekysrd Of one, Ferry. wto IL accused
Of selling 70 private persons designs be
had gained possession Of In virtue Of
bis position a. al Admiralty smpIoys-
Nov, - there must be two parties 10
bargain - vel a. - Aght, the British
Naval Lords have been endsavoEinR 10
discover whose gold it was that ear
Tupted their qusnaam servant, with tie
result, 90 the London papers assert, that
they have fastened the guilt Of tkis
srAnsaetiOn On the American legation in
LOadon. The London Daily Tsesysph
u stirring up the matter 70 lie depths
aud says that If the Gsvernment ct
Washington sunspsitiousIy brfbed q
British officer 10 turn traitor. violent
wave Of indignation will 20 ever the
country. And 30 il should. provided
The allegation can be proved, bat the
general experiences Of sueh matters
shows that trHth lies at the bottom 81
an uneomnonly deep we'll and canaes
Be reached BY any such sounding lines
- that put forth By our iEsts oonten-
porary.
However, nov that the first excite
nsHi Of the soare IL s0bsidlns, the au-
thoritiss at whitehall ara becoming
more reasonable, and vhils they admit
that their drsaRhtsman has been d.
vulRinG state secrets, they admit also
that the American legation is not known
" have been the purchasing recipient
Of them. This means that until Ad-
miral Porter knows more, he will gra-
eicusly give as the benefit Of the doubt.
There is not mach matter fer sslf con-
graduation in this, bat the whole cir
euDssaness Of the affair give rise TO q
train Of reflections by no means sooth. |
Ing TO our national vanity. Have things |
come 10 this pass shat we can even be |
credited With wishing to possess our
selves Of designs and specifications be-
cause Of our well known unoriginality |
to furnish them ourselves? At first |
blush IL locks like II, for Why should |
cur legation be singled out from the |
score or 90 Of other ones which have
their headquarters In London, as the
probable guilty partyi
However. assuming for the sake Of ar
gument that the United States authori-
ties were anxious 10 possess themselves
Of some nrss rate designs, Of what pos
sible use would they be to a. when We
lack the necessary plant, the necessary |
skil, and above all The necessary |
patience 10 give those designs effsotf |
Infertils and aboriginal. the American
Nation is not, bat hand Ia hand with q
eopioasusss Of invention goes scamp
ing and unfAithful habit Of giving that
inVsntion It's appropriate concrete e1-
preston. Oar Dolphins are all we'll |
enoaRh on paper, but when II comes 10
Transforming them from tho visual to
the tactile In other words. from what |
one can see TO What one can touch, the
promise which is kept TO the ear is
broken 10 the hope.
IL iss question, Of course. whether We
vast any navy more than sufficient to
support our Consular authority abroad,
bat II the necessity for its auplincatIou
be admitted, do not let as deceive our
selves that We have the very A, B. O Of
the business to learn. II money were
ell that were needed 10 build fine war |
ships, We have . good deal more Of that
material thar England. bst along with |
the means there must go the spirit to do |
faithful. painstakinR work, the reward |
OF which will be distant rather than |
present. Surprise has often been ex
cited at the readiness OF The authorities |
In England to communicate to foreign
eFs intelligence and details connected |
with the building Of their ornaments. |
The reason, however, OF this seemingly |
indiscFeet openness Is not far 10 seek. |
The British naval constructors know |
well enough tha, nsao Of their processes
and designs can be Of any use TO any
body unless they are equally equipped
With the plant, the skill and the patience
which they themselves possess.
AZ to this trafIioaing in state secrets,
We take very little stock In IL, though
naturally the English people should
feel little sore At the idea Of having
stolen from them what they are aoeus
tened 10 give away With such q lavish
hand. The moral, however. which The
badness points 10 none the less IN
paiatAble and ANYTHING bat fiAtteriuo TO
our regulations for DPnhttw no akfft